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Clinical applicability of magnetic resonance imaging in acute spinal cord trauma

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Abstract

Purpose

To assess the clinical application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with acute spinal cord trauma (SCT) according to the type, extension, and severity of injury and the clinical–radiological correlation.

Methods

Diagnostic imaging [computed tomography (CT) and MRI] tests of 98 patients with acute SCT were analyzed to assess their clinical diagnostic value. The following radiological findings of SCT were investigated: vertebral compression fractures, bursts and dislocations, posterior element fractures, C1 and C2 lesions, vertebral listhesis, bone swelling, spinal canal compression, disk herniation, extradural hematoma, spinal cord contusions, spinal cord swelling, and posterior ligamentous complex (PLC) injuries.

Results

The radiological findings were better visualized using MRI, except for the posterior elements (p = 0.001), which were better identified with CT. A total of 271 lesions were diagnosed as follows: 217 using MRI, 154 using CT, and 100 (36.9 %) using both MRI and CT. MRI detected 117 more lesions than CT.

Conclusion

MRI was significantly superior to CT in the diagnosis of bone swelling, PLC injury, disk herniation, spinal canal compression, spinal cord contusion and swelling present in SCT. MRI detected a larger number of lesions than CT and is highly useful for the diagnosis of soft tissue and intrathecal injuries.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Sciences, Medical School of São José do Rio Preto (FAMERP), São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil

    Dionei Freitas Morais

  2. The Neurosurgery Service of the Base Hospital, Street José Munia, 4850, Jardim do Sul, São José do Rio Preto, SP, 15090-500, Brazil

    Dionei Freitas Morais

  3. Health and Aging, Medical School of Marília (FAMEMA), Marília, SP, Brazil

    João Simão de Melo Neto

  4. Base Hospital, FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil

    Lucas Crociati Meguins

  5. Medical School of Catanduva (FAMECA), Catanduva, SP, Brazil

    Sara Eleodoro Mussi

  6. Department of Radiology, FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil

    José Roberto Lopes Ferraz Filho

  7. Department of Neurological Science, FAMERP, São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil

    Waldir Antônio Tognola

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  1. Dionei Freitas Morais
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  2. João Simão de Melo Neto
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  3. Lucas Crociati Meguins
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  5. José Roberto Lopes Ferraz Filho
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  6. Waldir Antônio Tognola
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Correspondence to Dionei Freitas Morais.

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Morais, D.F., de Melo Neto, J.S., Meguins, L.C. et al. Clinical applicability of magnetic resonance imaging in acute spinal cord trauma. Eur Spine J 23, 1457–1463 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-013-3047-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-013-3047-3

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